Diagnosis: This species is distinguished from its congeners in European inland waters by the following combination of characters: cheeks with 3-5 rows of bold black dots, roughly running diagonally from eye backward and downward, with space between 2 of the lower rows greyish and spaces between upper rows paler; simple cirrus above eye; head length 29-33% SL; upper jaw with 25-30 teeth, lower jaw with 20-27; A II,16-19; D XII-XIII,16-17 (Ref. 59043).

Description: Dorsal fin with 12-13 spines and 16-17 soft rays; anal fin with 2 spines and 16-19 soft rays; pectoral fin with 13-14 soft rays; pelvic fin with 1 spine and 3 soft rays (Ref. 128181).